Participants in a recent study were likely to choose an altered, more attractive, photo of themselves. (Thinkstock)Dove's viral campaign got it wrong.

An article in Scientific American points to research that refutes the idea that we're more beautiful than we think. In fact, according to psychological studies, we're actually less beautiful than we think.

In a series of studies by Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago and Erin Whitchurch of the University of Virginia, participants were shown photographs of themselves, some of them digitally altered to look more or less attractive that the original portrait. They were then asked to pick out the unaltered photo -- and most of them grabbed an "attractively enhanced" one.

When asked to perform the same task for a stranger's face and not the participant's own, the participant accurately chose the unaltered photo.

Also see: Does stress make you less attractive?

And it's not just our appearance we view in a more flattering light than is realistic, it's everything.

"Most people believe that they are above average, a statistical impossibility. The above